Circuit controlling device



1935. w. H. HOLLINSHEAD 2,012,428

CIRCUIT CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed March 16, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 171.372E 42 '6 Invenior \N. H. Holhnshead.

Kltornegs.

1935. w. H. HOLLINSHEAD 2,012,428

CIRCUIT CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed March 16, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Inventor- W. H. Hollinshead. B W

K't'tor-neys- Patented Aug. 27, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICESch-ins.

My invention relates to circuit controlling devices. While intended moreparticularly for use in connection with the control of. water levels intanks and sumps, it is to be understood that the on device may beapplied to other'uses. An object of th'e invention is to provide adevice of this diameter which is emcient and dependable in operation andnot affected by expansion and museum due to changes in temperature. An-Mi other object is to provide a. device which is capable of minute andaccurate adlustment. Another obiect is to provide a device embodying aplurality of sets ofcontact members 1: frorn nne source of pressure.Another obiect is to so 'pnovide'a device embodying a' plurality of setsof edntactmanhers which can be independently -sothatauyoueofthesetscanbeadiusted without disturbing any other set. Another. object is to providea movable support up carrying a plurality oi sets contact mmberssnamnted thatatleoa onoof said setswlll be brouaht into eneakedcondition when the sup- .pm't'is moved inone direction and at least an-;other ofv said sets will be bromht into enact d as condition when thesupport is moved in the other direction. The full" ohiects andadvantages of am! inwentimrwill appear. in connection with the Metaileddeocription theme! and the novel feawmresmnbcdiedm my inventive ideawill be parum ticularly pointed out in the claims appended at :the'endof the specification. 7

In the accompany-ins drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment 0!my invention- *I"ig. l is a view in front elevatiim of the device 36rafter the front of a c has been removed. #31 a is a view in verticalsection on the line 9-11)! Fig. 3. Fig. 3 isalview in vertical sectionbOnthelineS-i oiFlg. 1.-Iig.4is aviewin vsrtioalsection on the line 4-40! Fix. 1. Fig. '00 5 isadragmentary view taken on the line i-SVol-Fig.1; Pig. 6 is a. view in horizontal section on the line H of Fig.i.

Referring to the cons ruction shown in the r-drawings, the numeral 8designates .a casing for cs5 the device. the front of this owing beingprov vided-with a. door IQ hinged at the bottom as -indioated at I! inFm. 3 and having a transparent panel it through which the interior ofthe M118 .oanbemen withoutopening the door. The cae- .,o0 ing maybeoonstructed 0! any suitable material may be placed in any convenientlocation. hpipe l6 leads into the bottom of the casing, this pipe beingconnected to a liquid or gaseous supply which is to be controlled. Thead of thepipe in the casing is connected like the (Cl. 2M)

lower end of a diaphragm case M in whose upper end is secured an annularmember 20. Within the ease l8, there is a long flexible diaphragm 22whose upper end is tightly secured to the lower surface of the member20. The diab phragm 22 hangs freely from the member 28 so that fluidpressure transmitted through the pipe it is impo ed upon the bottom ofthe diaphragm. A vertical tube 24 is centrally disposed within thediaphragm with its upper end extending u through the opening in theannular member 2|. A rod 26 in the tube 24 is threaded on its upperportion and provided with a nut 28 adapted to rest upon top oi the tube24 whereby adjustment up and down my be made. The upper end of the rod26 is provided with a knife edge 30 which emages in a notch ll formed inthe lower side of an arm I! which at one end has a pivot 34 carried by abracket member 86 secured to the inside of the casing I, it being notedfrom Fig. a) 2 that the upper end of the diaphragm case I8 is secured tothe bracket 36. A coiled spring 38 is attached at its upper end to themovable end of the arm 32. This spring extends downwardly and its lowerend is attached to a screw extending through the bottom of the casing 8and provided on the outside thereof with a nut 42 by means of which thetension of the spring may be adjusted. One end of a flexible strip 44 isintermediately secured to the arm 32. The other end an of this strip issecured to the periphery of an annular disk 48 mounted for rotativemovement on an enlarged portion of a bolt 48 carried by the support 36as shown in Fig. 3. A pendulum i0 is secured to the disk by bolts 52 sothat the bolt 48 constitutes the pivot of the pendulum. The lower end ofthe pendulum is provided with an arcuate slot 54. A bolt 56 passingthrough said slot and through a weight 68 serves to ad- Justabiy securethe weight on the lower end of so the pendulum. The upper end of thependulum II is positioned between the annular disk 46 and a flangedmember 60, the bolts 52 previously referred to passing through theflange of the memher I. 5

A supporting disk 62 is secured to the outer face of the member 60 by ascrew 84 whereby the disk 62 constitutes a movable support which movesto and fro to ether with the annular disk 48 and the pendulum 50. Themovable support 82 serves to carry a plurality of contact members shownin the present embodiment as consisting of two mercury switchesembodying two tubes 66 and 68 disposed substantially diametrally uponthe opposite sides oi the support 62. It will be or understood as amatter of course that the support 62 is capable of carrying additionalcontact members. The tubes 88 and B8 are held by similar clips '18attached to segmental members "I2 respectively. Each segmental member isattached to the support 62 by a pivot screw I4 and is provided with anarcuate slot l8 through which a screw 18 passes whereby the tubes 86 and68 may be independently adjusted. The tube 88 toward its outer end isprovided with two terminals 80 and 82. The terminal 80 is connected by awire 8 with a binding post 88 carried by a block 88 of insulatingmaterial secured inside of the casing 8 as shown in Fig. 3. The terminal82 is connected by a wire with a binding post 82 carried by the block88. The tube 88 toward its outer end is provided with two terminals 84and 96. The terminal 94 is connected by a wire 98 with a binding post1108 carried by the block 88. The terminal 08 is connected by a wire I02with a binding post I84 carried by the block 88. Secured within thecasing 8 isa bracket I06 to which the lower end of a bimetallic bar I08is secured. The upper end of the bar I88 carries a clip H0 which holds amercury switch embodying a tube I I2. The tube I I2 is provided with twoterminals H4 and H8. The terminal H4 is connected by a wire II8 with thebinding post I00 while the terminal H6 is connected by a wire I20 with abinding post I22 carried by the block 88. The bracket I06 carries aresister I24 of well known construction, the lower portion of which isconnected by a wire I28 with a binding post I28 carried by the block 88.The upper portion of the resister is connected by a wire I30 with thebinding post 86, the wire including a heating coil I32 wrapped aroundthe bimetallic bar I08. The binding posts I28 and 92 are connected bywires I34 and I38 respectively with a motor which is to be controlled.The binding posts I04, I00, and I22 are connected by wires I38, I40 andI42 respectively with a motor starter associated with a motor, the wireI38 being a starting line, the wire I48 being a common line and the wireI42 being a stopping line as commonly employed in three wire systems.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be understood inconnection with the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings.Fig. 1 shows the parts in the position which they assume when thepressure in the pipe I6 has reached the desired maximum and the motor isto be stopped. The pressure exerted on the diaphragm 22 has turned thedisk 82 against the gravity of the pendulum 50 and the tension of thespring 38. Thiscauses the mercury in the tube 66 to bridge the terminals80 and 82 so that current flows through the wire I34, the wire I26, theresister I24, the wireI30 including the heating coil I32, the wire 84,the wire 90, and out through the wire I38. The heating coil 32 soonflexes the thermostatic bar I88 from the position shown in Fig. 1 intothat shown in Fig. 2, so that the mercury in the tube I I2 opens theterminals H4 and H8. Current now ceases to flow through the wire I40,the wire I t8, the wire I20, and the stop Wire 42 so that the motor isstopped. When the pressure in the pipe I8 falls sufiiciently so that thependulum 58 and the spring 88 turn the disk in the opposite directionthe requisite distance, the mercury in the tube 88 bridges the terminals84 and 96. Current now flows through the wire M0, the wire 98, the wireI02, and the starting wire I38 so that the motor is started. It is to benoted that the thermostat I08 and the resister I24 serve as an electricsnubber so that rapid vibration of the disk 52 due to surging in thefluid whose pressure is imposed on the diaphragm will not cause startingand stopping of the motor in rapid succession. Surging in the source offluid pressure will not cause current to stop flowing through the stopwire I42 even if the disk 82 should be momentarily rocked sufficientlyto bridge the terminals 94 and 80 since the current would first have toflow through the resists-r and the heating coil around the thermostatand for this to iiex the thermostat requires a greater period of timethan the period of vibration due to surging. While I prefer to employthe electric snubber which has been described it is apparent that someother form of snubber might be employed so that it would not benecessary to provide the thermostat I08, the resister I24, the mercurytube H2 and the wires associated with these parts. My device has theadvantage of not being materially affected by expansion and contractioncaused by changes in temperature. By tightening the spring 38 some ofthe effect of the pressure exerted on the diaphragm 22 is overcome. Theprovision of both the spring 38 and the pendulum 50 acting on the arm 32cuts down the period of vibration of the disk 52. It will be notedfurther that the device is capable of being minutely and accuratelyadjusted.

I claim:

1. A circuit controlling device comprising a support mounted forrotative movement, a plurality of mercury switches carried by saidsupport, a source of pressure, a diaphragm subjected to ressure exertedby said source, an arm pivoted at one end, a rod actuated by saiddiaphragm and engaging said arm to exert an upward thrust thereon, apendulum, a disk to which said support is attached concentric with thepivot of said pendulum, said disk and pendulum being secured togetherfor movement in unison, a flexible strip secured at one end to theperiphery of said disk and secured at its other end to said arm, meanswhereby a circuit is completed by one of said switches when said supportis given rotative movement in one direction, and means whereby anothercircuit is completed by another of said switches when said support isgiven rotative movement in the other direction.

2. A circuit controlling device comprising a support mounted forrotative movement, a plurality of mercury switches carried by saidsupport, a source of pressure, a diaphragm subjected to pressure exertedby said source, an arm pivoted at one end, a rod actuated by saiddiaphragm and engaging said arm to exert an upward thrust thereon, apendulum having its pivot positioned underneath said arm, a disk towhich said support is attached rotatable on said pivot and to which saidpendulum is attached, a, flexible strip secured at one end to theperiphery of said disk and secured at its other end to said arm, aspring exerting downward stress on the free end of said arm, meanswhereby a circuit is completed by one of said switches when said supportis given rotative movement in one direction, and means whereby anothercircuit is completed by another of said switches when said support isgiven rotative movement in the other direction.

3. A circuit controlling device comprising a support mounted forrotative movement, a switch carried by said support, a source ofpressure, a diaphragm subjected to pressure exerted by said source, apivoted arm, a rod actuated by said diaphragm and cooperating with saidarm to exert a thrust thereon, a pendulum, a disk to which said supportis attached concentric with the pivot of said pendulum, said pendulumand disk being secured together for movement in unison, and a flexiblestrip secured at one end to the periphery oi. said disk and secured atits other end to said arm, said switch being closed when said support isgiven rotative movement in one direction and being opened when saidsupport is given rotative movement in the other direction.

4. A circuit controlling device comprising a support mounted forrotative movement, a switch carried by said support, a pivoted arm,means for swinging said arm on its pivot, a pendulum, a disk to whichsaid support is attached, said pendulum and disk being secured togetherfor movement in unison, and a flexible strip secured at one end to theperiphery of said disk and secured at its other end to said arm, saidswitch being closed when said support is given rotative movement in onedirection and being opened when said support is given rotative movementin the other direction.

5. A circuit controlling device comprising a support mounted forrotative movement, a switch carried by said support, a pivoted arm,means for swinging said arm on its pivot, a disk to which said supportis attached, and a flexible strip secured at one end to the periphery ofsaid disk and secured at its other end to said arm, said switch beingclosed when said support is given rotative movement in one direction andbeing opened when said support is given rotative movement in the otherch'rection.

WILLIAM H. HOLLINSHEAD.

